Review: Chocolate Horchata

For any dairy or dairy-alternative beverage brand, having a chocolate-flavored variety is pretty much a no-brainer. So, we were quite excited to see Tigernut Horchata add a chocolate-flavored drink to its lineup. Made with an organic and high pressure processed (HPP) blend of water, tigernuts, dates, cacao powder, lemon and sea salt, the product is the brand's tastiest offering to date. The chocolate does a great job of creating something that’s familiar tasting and pleases the palate. It’s rich tasting and indulgent, but not overly sweet, and we like the light note of lemon and salt at the finish. The flavor of the body tastes nutty, but, unlike the chocolate flavor, it lacks the richness that you’ll find in many nut milks (a tigernut is actually a root vegetable). This makes for a nice point of differentiation in that you can definitely drink this faster. Plus, it doesn’t have any gums or stabilizers like you’ll find in many other products in the category. However, the concept of a horchata -- at least in terms of what an American consumer will think -- feels lost in the shuffle. In terms of nutrition facts, this product has 150 calories, 9g of fat, 10g of fiber, 4g of protein and 9g of sugar. Visually, the product looks very much like an HPP product with its use of a 12 oz. cylindrical plastic bottle. We still question the approach to branding, which uses “Organic Gemini” in a very small capacity with the emphasis otherwise on “Tigernut Horchata.” We’re not really sure what the best approach is, but something about this does still feel slightly confusing. Otherwise, the company has done a nice job of calling attention to the organic and non-GMO certifications and a callout for its paleo-friendly formulation is definitely a smart move. Overall, a nice addition to the Tigernut Horchata lineup. The company definitely seems to be moving in the right direction.